Dynamic Alignment Through Imagery

by Eric Franklin

Dynamic Alignment Through Imagery, Second Edition, expands on the classic text and reference written by Eric Franklin, an internationally renowned teacher, dancer, and choreographer who has been sharing his imagery techniques for 25 years.

In this new edition, Franklin shows you how to use imagery, touch, and movement exercises to improve your coordination and alignment. These exercises will also help you relieve tension, enhance the health of your spine and back, and prevent back injury.
This expanded new edition includes

more than 600 imagery exercises along with nearly 500 illustrations to help you visualize the exercises and use them in various contexts;
audio files for dynamic imagery exercises set to music; and
updated chapters throughout the book, including new material on integrated dynamic alignment exercises and dynamic alignment and imagery.

This book will help you discover your natural flexibility and quickly increase your power to move. You’ll learn elements of body design. You’ll explore how to use imagery to improve your confidence, and you’ll discover imagery conditioning programs that will lead you toward better alignment, safer movement, increased fitness, and greater joy. Further, you’ll examine how to apply this understanding to your discipline or training to improve your performance.

Dynamic Alignment Through Imagery, Second Edition, will help you experience the biomechanical and anatomical principles that are crucial to dancers, other performing artists, yoga and Pilates teachers and practitioners, and athletes. The techniques and exercises presented in the book will guide you in improving your posture—and they will positively affect your thoughts and attitude about yourself and others and help you feel and move better both mentally and physically.

Genres: Fitness, Bodies, Health, School, Nonfiction

451 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 17, 1996

About the author

Eric Franklin is the founder and director of the Franklin Method. He created the Method over 25 years ago, first teaching in Switzerland, Germany and Austria and further in the USA, China, Japan and many other countries. He earned his BS from the University of Zurich and his Bachelor of Fine Arts at the New York University’s Tisch School of the Arts. Eric teaches at universities and schools throughout the world including the Juilliard School in New York, Rutgers University, the University of Vienna, the Royal Ballet School and the Laban Center in London. He has taught Beyonce’s & Celine Dion’s world tour dance companies. In 1998 he introduced the first dance conditioning methodology to mainland China.

Eric presents his work at numerous conferences, such as the World Congress for Lower Back and Pelvic Pain, the Pilates Method Alliance and the International Association for Dance Medicine and Science. Eric Franklin is author 21 books, including of Dynamic Alignment through Imagery (2012), Dance Imagery for Technique and Performance (2013), Relax your Neck – Liberate your Shoulders (2002), Pelvic Power (2003), Inner Focus, Outer Strength (2006) and Beautiful Body, Beautiful Mind (2009). Eric Franklin’s books have been translated into German, Italian, Spanish, Polish, French, Czech, Chinese and Korean.

Reviews

[Vitali · Rating 5 out of 5]

The name of the author is Eric Franklin (not sure how to send this feedback to the 'librarians'.

Yes it is a great book, and not just for dancers, but everyone who wants to improve their alignment or movement patters. Eric has studied Body-Mind Centering and his books are a wonderful exhample how BMC can be transmited to a larger public. He uses wonderful illustrations that are hard to forget. It is a powerful book.

[Tishia · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is very informative. It is a creative way to work with the body, using imagery to affect movement. Franklin is a highly trained movement professional, and his book is very useful for dancers or any person wanting to improve their quality of movement.

[Cassie Walker · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely love this book. I truly admire Franklin's ability to explain complex sciences like physics & anatomy in a way that is simple and applicable. His imagery work completely redefined the power of the MindBody connection for me, and was the first time I even remotely understood simple physics. Can't wait to finish the sections on the shoulders and breathing. This is a great study for movement instructors or enthusiasts who want to gain a greater understanding of what their body is and how it works.

[Henedchoueiry · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hard to stay focused in reading it but very rich in information. I have gotten it 5 years ago but never read it from cover to cover. A workshop would probably be very useful in order to read through the book a bit quicker

[Janie · Rating 5 out of 5]

A wonderful resource for dancers of all kinds. Comprehensive without being confusing. Great illustrations and incredibly useful exercizes to make the most of your body's potential for movement.

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book helped me to think about the way bodies move in a different light. The imagery is very helpful in my instruction of Pilates and Gyrotonic.